Rain just hides tears
by LadyBootstrap
Summary: Set after the second film. Lord Beckett wants both Liz and Will killed but who will be summoned to do the deed? Discontinued. READ AT YOUR OWN PERIL! Possible Mary Sue alert!
1. Chapter 1

**Rain just hides tears**

She reached for the bottle with a sigh. There was no point in doing anything now. All was lost- Jack was dead, Bill too and the Pearl was gone. Most likely destroyed by Davy's terrible beast. She had never truly gotten over the death of Bill but Jack's death had caused her too go even deeper into the depths of despair. Well it wasn't that bad, she reasoned with herself; as long as she never got sober she'd be fine.

This was one of her favourite haunts- the rotten core in the inside of the perfect shiny green apple that was Port Royal. It was a hidden alehouse (ironically called 'Fool's paradise') when men could drown their sorrows and waste their days with women who would be at home in Tortuga's various brothels. Fool's paradise was probably the only place in Port Royal where you could actually get a good bottle of rum. The commodores and captains of the navy would shut it down if they didn't enjoy the women and rum so much and so often. Of course the women were prettier here; rich noblemen paid a lot more and visited more often any pirate would.

But this particular woman was not a 'working girl' in truth she despised them all and saw them as parasites. That's why she liked it here- no men were asking her how much she cost. Not that anybody could tell she was a woman. She was wearing a long, black, hooded cloak which covered all of her body and obscured her face. Plus she was wearing a plain black mask which went from her forehead to the tip of her nose; with only two slits for eyes. Her chin was hardly visible though, the cloak and dark lighting made sure of that. Many men wore masks here to disguise and protect themselves. She was a nondescript person who blended in perfectly with her surroundings: no one noticed her. Exactly the way she liked things.

There was only one problem with her current lifestyle. She had lodgings in the house, could drink herself into oblivion each night and remain unseen- everything was there except the one thing with ails all drunkards: money. This was why she had had to go back to her old job the one she had before she had gone into piracy. She had vaguely wondered if she would go back to the ocean but had decided against it; there was no point in her eyes. No point in anything anymore. There was more of a market for her 'occupation' in Port Royal than Tortuga. If you wanted a man dead in Tortuga you could just run him through with a cutlass- nobody would care in that lawless place. But if you wanted a man dead in Port Royal it was a bit harder, sure deaths could be covered up but it took a lot of time and money. By employing somebody to kill them it was cheaper and was usually made to look like an accident or like a random mugging or something similar. This way it was much safer for the person who wanted another person killed.

Unfortunately being a hired assassin has its downsides- the main one being she had a conscience. That's why she was very select on what jobs she'd take on, she already could hardly live with the fact she had killed so many men (and women) that deserved death. If she killed innocent people the pain could not be numbed with liquor; she would have to take another, more extreme option. Her job meant that occasionally the odd person disturbed her mind's wanderings but it also meant everyone kept well away. None of them wanted to trouble somebody like her- they feared the masked, hooded stranger who spoke with a deep rasping voice. She had to disguise her voice so no one would discover her gender and had become quite good at sounding like a man, albeit an ill-sounding one at that. Suddenly a voice cut through her ambling thoughts.

'Good evening' A well spoken man whispered from somewhere behind her.

'Pray, please tell what makes this particular evening so good?' She rasped irately.

The man sat next to her- he was not disguised like the others. He wore a white wig and a well-made suit. This man radiated richness and nobility. She recognised his face- she'd never forget his sneering face and his cold, cold eyes. It was none other than Cutler Beckett a man known throughout the seven seas as a ruthless pirate-hunter. There were rumours he had killed his mother just by looking at her as a child. She did not believe those stories- he was no supernatural entity- he was just a man, which made his heartlessness even worse. He would not have known who she was, even without the mask and hood but she remembered him, she remembered him all right…

'The thing that makes this evening so good,' He smiled 'Is that I have found you.'

She frowned. The expression meant nothing physically as neither one of them could see it but it meant that she was confused- She didn't like the game he was playing. So she stayed quiet.

'You do know who I am? Don't you?' he asked and then continued without waiting for an answer. 'I am Lord Beckett probably one of the most influential people in the whole ocean. And I need to ask you a favour. I am in need for someone with your… capabilities to do a job for me. A job which will involve travel and danger and-'

'So why should I take it? And why me?' She cut in slightly worried for her own safety.

'Why you? You have already completed many jobs for me already. And I was very pleased with the results. Don't look at me that way- I sent a different man to give you the job each time. And you were the only one out of all of those I've tested that passed.' He stopped and looked at her. She had the feeling of being a like mouse being played with by a cat about to make its kill.

'I don't appreciate being played like a pawn. '

'I'm sure no one does.'

'And you haven't said why I should help you- you haven't even told me what the job is!' She rasped angrily.

'I have in my possession a very rare and valuable item. But the problem is I am afraid there are a few people that might try and rid me of said item.'

'So you want them taken care of?'

'Exactly. You see this item is _very _important.' Beckett said and looked at the cloaked figure with a look of distaste on his face as she took a swig out of her bottle of rum.

'How important?' She asked while wiping her mouth with her sleeve.

'Extremely. The item in question is the heart of the Davy Jones.'

She opened her mouth in shock and looked at his face for any signs of deceit. There were none. He appeared to be telling the truth.

'You see,' He carried on 'He is under my control but he failed to get rid of the crew of a certain 'black pearl'. I understand he was not under my service at the time but it is most displeasing nevertheless. He managed to rid me of that ruffian Jack Sparrow but it seems a few of his crew managed to escape from his leviathan. And two members of this motley group may try and get the heart back. So naturally I want them dead.'

All through this speech he had kept his calm, collected demeanour. She could see, although she already knew this from past experience, the death of others meant nothing to him. But while she was pondering this, a thought came to her; and she suddenly saw the flaw in Beckett's logic.

'But,' she whispered, still in her deep, rasping voice. 'Why not just tell Jones to unleash his beast onto this troublesome pair?'

'I am already doing that but I have realised the Kraken is unreliable at best. It is just a dumb beast and cannot touch those at land. I have received information that they are heading for or are already on the island of Tortuga. Most likely to get a new crew. I have arranged a boat to get you there as soon as possible. After that you will be on your own and if you return with their bodies- you shall be rewarded.'

The lord stopped and looked at her expectantly. Elsewhere in the tavern it was business as usual no one knew of the terrible power that Beckett now owned or of the murders he was plotting. Finally she broke the silence and decided to ask a question he had left unanswered.

'That is all well and good' she began 'but what is the reward?'

'Money of course but one thing so precious you will not refuse my offer.'

'Let me guess…. My life?'

'In a way. I will offer you protection. _I _rule the seas now. I will make it so Davy Jones will not attack any ship you're on and he will spare your life if you ever meet him under any circumstances.'

He paused, reached within his coat and took out a scroll tied up by a red ribbon. The woman was beginning to think Beckett was even more egotistical than she thought- by the way every other sentence began with 'I'.

'This letter has my seal and basically says that by my orders any body under my service should cater for you and not harm you in any way. But so you do not take this and run it says that if you try and betray me in any way you should be killed instantly. Also whenever anyone is shown this, they must write it down so I can keep a log of everywhere you've been.'

She sighed and thought. There was just one more question that needed answering.

'Just one more thing, tell me who this pair is and you might have a deal.' She said with a grin.

Beckett smiled; for him everything was going according to plan. But little did he know the next sentence he said would make sure this woman would never work for him.

'One is a woman, Elizabeth Swann, daughter of a governor. The other is her fiancé, son of a pirate I believe, his name is William Turner.'

If the mask had not concealed her face the look of sheer surprise and shock would have made Beckett think twice about hiring her. William was alive? Impossible… But Beckett must be telling the truth. And if so there was only one thing she could do.

'I accept your offer my lord.' She told him- almost forgetting to mask her voice.

Yet another smile grew across his face. Everything was just right- or so he thought.

A/N This is the first chapter of my first story. Any reviews will be helpful- even criticism if it is constructive. I've tried my hardest not to make my character a Mary sue by avoiding all the typical clichés. Hopefully I won't fall into many traps in my next chapter which will involve a nice trip to Tortuga- of course I need to do a bit more research. Especially on the history of opium dens and a good historical name for my character. I know the title sounds like some weird emo poem but the original title was 'Forever Lost-Forever Found' which was already taken, scarily by a potc fanfic. So please review.


	2. Chapter 2

'Tortuga? Tortuga?' The young man asked angrily. 'You didn't tell me, or any of us for that matter where we were going and we end up in this godforsaken place!'

He was what many people would call handsome, with long slightly unkempt brown hair and tanned skin. His body was lean but strong- reminiscent of a bear. His eyes were blazing with anger and he appeared to have a deep loathing towards the person he was talking to.

'Please Will.' The young woman pleaded. 'I'm sure there's some reason we're here.'

The young woman had a fair face and was wearing sailor's clothes. She looked similar to a china doll- painted and easily breakable- yet there was strength in her eyes. A strength which seemed to radiate around her; forming an invisible aura. And these strong eyes were looking right into William's very soul.

He looked at her and sighed.

'I'm…. sorry Elizabeth.' He said finally but there was no sign of remorse in his voice.

Elizabeth looked away. She felt a strange sensation in her stomach. Guilt. But what for? Jack's death? Betraying Will? Or both? All throughout the journey Will had hardly talked and when he did he had been cold and distant. Did he know? Or just suspect something was up? It was coming all too much for her to take. She still loved Will no matter what but his feelings towards here seemed to be decreasing.

Will however was feeling an entirely different set of emotions. He wasn't really that angry they were in Tortuga- he had known they had to get a crew from somewhere. But he had all the anger burning inside of him- like a caged demon- struggling to get free. If he didn't let it out- who knows what might happen? He was angry with Jack, with Barbossa, with Davy Jones and with Elizabeth. Especially Elizabeth, he felt so betrayed, the woman he loved and who he had done all this to save didn't love him. That hurt him more than any of the wounds Davy Jones's crew had put upon him.

'Aye lad' Cut in the other man interrupting both of their trains of thought. 'You should watch your temper.'

A monkey was sat on his shoulder, like an imp or demon of lore. It had a strong attachment to its owner and seemingly understood every word he said. He had a lined, weather-worn face. It was obvious this pirate had been in many battles- over money, ships and women.

'Yes _captain_.' Snapped Will mockingly.

Barbossa looked at Will thoughtfully. He had been most intrigued to find out about Bootstrap's fate and saw in Will more than a little piece of his father. In his eyes both of them were not pirates- too noble, and always wanting to do the right thing. And they both never accepted Barbossa as captain. Which was more than a little annoying. Most of the crew (Who was left at least.) seemed to accept Barbossa was captain; even Gibbs had grudgingly agreed.

Gibbs looked at the proceedings and shook his head. He looked at William and whispered 'I know you don't like this- and to be frank neither do I. But Barbossa is captain and if you try to mutiny against him you'll probably be keel-hauled. Understand?'

Will nodded but still kept his eye on Barbossa. How could he ever trust the man who had condemned his father to such a terrible fate?

'Anyway you really think we'd set off on such a journey without more of a crew- or a bigger ship!' Barbossa continued indicating the vessel they had come to the island in. 'Come on- Mr. Gibbs, Mr. Turner and Miss. Swann we have a crew to recruit.'

He walked away from the ship, quickly followed by Jack, the monkey, and after a moment's hesitation- the others.

Meanwhile Beckett's assassin sat in one of Tortuga's various taverns. This tavern was called (possibly even more ironically than the one in Port Royal.) 'The Faithful Bride'. It was a run-down place but was full of customers all the same. Mostly pirates, or men who had fallen from respectability and had nothing else to do than drink the pain away. Unfortunately for her this place was full of prostitutes and already she had been asked repeatedly what her price was. It didn't matter to them how pretty the women were- they were too drunk to care. At least in Port Royal the noblemen only wanted beautiful women so even if she hadn't worn her disguise no one would have troubled her. Unlike Fool's paradise the women had no class here and were just as bad as the pirates who loved their services.

She wasn't wearing the same clothes as she did with her meeting with Beckett. Anybody wearing a cloak and a mask in Tortuga would immediately be held up for scrutiny. Secrets didn't go down to well here. She would have most likely have gota sword in her throat. So instead she just wore her normal clothes; black boots, trousers, a shirt, a jacket with hidden pockets and a belt she could attach swords and pistols to. A corset or dress would be impractical especially if she needed to get away quickly.

She was still contemplating what she would do when William and Elizabeth came. _If _they came. She wouldn't kill them- she knew that. Her oath still stood. Best to just forget about it. People never reacted well to the fact someone wanted them killed. Especially when they found out _you _were the one sent to kill them. There was plenty of rum here, hardly anyone knew her, and nobody would care how much she drank.

She was aware of the tavern doors opening and shutting. Someone, or some people, had entered. This didn't faze her though. It was probably some drunkard or a crew of pirates looking to spend some newly-found treasure. If you ignored them they'd usually ignore you. She lowered her tri-corn hat slightly and pulled her drink closer to her. People never bothered you if you looked like a depressed drunk. They just let you wallow in your grief. A hand suddenly pressed on her shoulder and her drink almost fell from her grasp.

A monkey leaped off her shoulder and onto her table. It had a devilish look in its eyes.

'Vermin.' She spat and tried to push the demon off the table. It just screamed at her and tried to grab her necklace. It tried to escape but found the woman had grabbed it round the waist.

'Now ye'll get what's comin' to you.' She said angrily. Suddenly her expression changed.

'Jack….' She whispered a look of shock forming on her face leaning in closer. But before she could do anything else she heard the click of a pistol right behind her head.

'That be my creature- hand it over.' Stated an oddly familiar voice.

'Who's asking?' She enquired silently praying that the voice did not belong to who she thought it did.

'Captain Barbossa.' The man answered puzzledly. 'And who be asking?'

She let go of the monkey and it crawled back onto its master's shoulder. Slowly she reached for her pistol and whipped round suddenly aiming it at Barbossa's head.

Both of them looked at each other, neither breaking eye contact. No one in the tavern took much notice- incidents like this were common- usually everyone just let them fight to the death, it was safer that way. A cold blade was suddenly put to her throat.

'Shoot him and you'll go down too.' William Turner threatened.

'There be no point Mr Turner, she'd never shoot me.' Barbossa said cockily, lowering his pistol.

William looked slightly surprised when Barbossa said 'she' but decided not to say anything and took his sword away from her throat. The woman got up; still aiming her pistol at Barbossa's head.

'Really Hector?' She asked 'You really think I'd never shoot you?'

Her breath stunk of alcohol and raw meat; her clothes were loose-fitted and her shirt had a large red stain on the side of it. All of her body was covered up- except from her neck upwards. Her face was gaunt, almost skeletal, as if she weren't living at all. She was not someone you would look twice at in the street- her eyes were plain brown and so was her hair. It was almost impossible to tell her age but Will guessed she was probably in her late thirties or early fifties. You could describe her as plain if it was not for the large diagonal scar that ran from her right cheek to the bottom of her throat.

'Never- not if you want Jack back.' He answered with a smile.

'Jack is dead.'

'And I can get him back- I know where he is. At the end of the world where-'

'Why? Why? You hate Jack.' She questioned her voice filled with contempt.

'I'm sorry to interrupt.' Elizabeth said hesitantly 'But aren't we supposed to be getting a crew? And who is this person?'

The woman turned to look at Elizabeth. She had already deduced the young man was William Turner and although this woman next to her didn't look like a governor's daughter- much too dirty and the clothes were not refined at all- the picture she had been given matched her face perfectly. They both didn't seem to be acting like fiancés but that wasn't her problem. Elizabeth just looked at her with disgust- even the prostitutes had better hygiene and clothing than this woman.

'If I'm right' Gibbs added seemingly out of the blue. 'This woman is Catherine Vane.'

'Gibbs.' Catherine said happily, she relaxed a little and stopped staring at Elizabeth. 'Long time no see. What are you doing with _him_?' She asked motioning towards Barbossa with the pistol.

'As I said earlier Miss. Vane- we're going to get Jack.' Barbossa smiled while taking a bite out of an apple.

'You're going to sail to purgatory?

'In a way, yes.'

'So you're going to take a crew to what is essentially Hell.?'

'Yes.'

'A world without Jack is a world not Worth livin' in' Gibbs remarked solemnly.

'Well we're all living in it.' Catherine sighed and sat back down. She buried her head in her hands. Barbossa was still alive- how could that be? And why would he want to get Jack back? And why didn't she just shoot him? Too many questions were in her head- she wanted to drink, to forget it all and be in oblivious bliss.

'I need a drink.'

Will had surveyed the situation for a while. Too many questions were going unanswered for his taste.

'You still haven't told us who you are.' He prompted.

'You know me name…'

'That's not enough. How do they know you?'

'I used to crew the pearl.'

_With your father._ She said in her head. He was so like him, no so much in looks, but the way he talked- heck even the way he stood reminded her of him. Bill was alive in him- she wanted to say so much to him but kept her face expressionless. Even though the room was full of the sounds of fighting, laughing and drinking, there seemed to be a silence in the room. She couldn't help but notice they all were staring at her. William looked confused, Barbossa was smiling and so was Gibbs but for different reasons and Elizabeth was looking at Catherine with an expression of disgust.

'The Pearl?' Elizabeth asked.

'Aye,' She answered.

'So why weren't you cursed by the Aztec gold?'

'I left just before the mutiny.'

'Why?'

'Look Missy.' Catherine narrowed her eyes intensely. 'I didn't ask for a bloody inquisition.'

'We're looking for crew' Gibbs started bravely.

'Is she worth having on the ship?' Will asked Gibbs.

Barbossa decided to answer that question instead. 'Not the best sailor but a good fighter…. When she's not drunk…'

'I'm not a dog Hector. I'm not for sale- I can talk you know.' She hissed angrily.

'So will ye join me crew? Beckett has Davy's heart… We need Jack to get it back.'

'I know about the heart and to answer your question…Of course not you bastard!'

'Don't you want to save Jack?'

'Of course but not if it means fraternising with you- you still owe me.'

'And how did you know about the heart?' Questioned Elizabeth suspiciously.

Catherine ignored her and went back to her drink.

Barbossa looked her with his steely glare and called the others over to him. They talked for several minutes while Catherine helped herself to the rum. Finally they stopped and Barbossa came towards her.

'I'll give you what I owe if ye come with us.' He stated.

She contemplated his offer, she still hated him but if he could settle the debt… And save Jack as well… Her oath meant she was inclined to accept anyway.

'Fine but tell me why you need me?'

'We need all the fighters we can get, Davy's crew be a terrible lot. And….. I need someone I can trust.' He finished and smiled- showing all his rotten teeth.

Will turned to Gibbs. 'Who is she?' He whispered.

'A lost soul' he said simply leaving Will very confused. Why all the riddles? He had noticed when she first saw him; she had for an instant, a look of utter surprise. Had she known his father? He wanted to ask but she looked irritable and that stain on the side of her shirt looked suspicious.

Catherine started to lift a water-logged bag off the floor.

'So if you get your stuff we'll be able to get more crew.' Barbossa said happy he had made a deal.

'This _is_ all me stuff.' She remarked irritably.

'Oh'

A/N This is my second chapter- less description this time round. I feel the first chapter was a lot better but I'll probably edit this soon so it's more towards my liking. Add more description and answer a few more questions. I'm hoping it's not too Mary Sueish and am still working on writing the characters in character. Hope you like it. And this one is longer for some reason. Still no Bootstrap though… I need to add a flashback or scene on the Dutchman in the next chapter for sure. As always please review.


	3. Chapter 3

Elizabeth walked slowly down the aisle. Her yellow wedding dress was trailing behind her like a shimmering river. The guests were assembled in their various seats both sides of the aisle. All of them were looking on and she recognised many faces. But she felt proud- this was _her_ wedding day, _she_ was finally going to be married. Her father was beside her taking her to the altar. Nothing could ruin this; no words could describe the happiness she felt right now. The groom was standing next to the priest his back to Elizabeth and the guests. He was wearing well-cut clothes and a very ostentatious hat. But Elizabeth didn't mind she loved him and was finally getting married, that was all that mattered. In due course she reached the altar and smiled at the priest.

'I love you.' She whispered to the groom.

'Feeling's mutual love.' He said smiling at her- showing his gold teeth.

It was Jack. She woke up with a start.

They'd been on the ship for three days. _Three days. _And every night Elizabeth had dreamt of her wedding, and every time the groom was Jack. Her heart was beating fast and her head was full of unanswered questions. The first time she'd had the dream she woke up screaming. Will had come to her aid quickly but had regarded her with suspicion when she had said it was 'just a bad dream'. Elizabeth looked around the cabin, it was dawn, and ultimately decided to get up. She got out of her hammock with images of Jack still floating in her head.

Meanwhile Catherine was stood on the deck, observing the sunrise whilst sharpening a long cutlass. The deck was almost deserted- too early for most of the crew. She was, unfortunately for her, sober. Barbossa had told her that if she got drunk she'd be thrown off the ship. Gibbs had told her everything, about Davy Jones, Jack, Will, Elizabeth and even how Tia Dalma had brought Barbossa back to life. Of course he had also told her of Bootstrap's fate. All this time she had wished he was alive- but not like this. And just to add salt to the wound she couldn't drink. It was a dangerous thing; leaving her to her own thoughts, not able to numb the pain.

Catherine had hardly talked to anyone in the past three days. The only words directed at her were orders and she followed them silently and without protest. Many of the crew avoided her, some seemed scared, especially Pintel and Ragetti who knew full well what she could do when crossed. Everyone stared at her though. When they looked at her their eyes always flickered to her scar. Scars weren't uncommon in the pirate world but that didn't stop their stares. She hated it so much- not because she was vain but because it gave her a distinguishing mark. People remembered people with scars; she just hoped the darkness of the 'Fool's paradise' had hid the lower half of it from Beckett. She looked at the cutlass mulling her thoughts in her head. One thing she had noticed was the coldness between Elizabeth and Will- they seemed more like enemies than fiancés. Catherine sighed; she would kill for a bottle of rum right now.

Elizabeth made her way to the deck carefully; trying not to wake those who were sleeping. She wanted to be alone and find out what the dream really meant. As soon as she got to the deck she heard a scraping sound: like metal on metal. Catherine was stood at the edge of the ship- staring at the horizon. In her hands she had a cutlass and what looked like a small brass knife. Elizabeth guessed she was sharpening the cutlass. Although she didn't want to admit it to herself- Elizabeth was a little bit fearful of Catherine. Her past was a mystery and her true reasons for going on this journey were never explained. Barbossa had mentioned some sort of debt and Gibbs had just answered her questions with riddles. Well, she thought to herself, if I want answers I guess I just have to find them myself, and she strode over to where Catherine was standing.

When Elizabeth reached Catherine she looked at her with a raised eyebrow before returning her attention to the cutlass.

'Yes…?' Catherine asked finally. She was slightly angry Elizabeth had disrupted her.

Elizabeth's cheeks went red and she bit her lip. She stared into Catherine's face and found herself studying her scar intently. Suddenly she realised what she was doing and looked away, her cheeks still flushing with embarrassment. Catherine rolled her eyes and continued sharpening the cutlass. Elizabeth could smell raw meat in her breath but no alcohol.

'If you think this is bad you should see the rest of me.' Catherine sighed.

'I…Umm… What do you mean?'

Catherine took off one of her black gloves. Elizabeth looked at the back of her hand; there was nothing there except pale skin. Then she turned the hand over and Elizabeth almost stumbled backwards in shock. The word 'Beast' had been carved into her palm with rough jagged letters. They looked very deep and painful. Elizabeth opened her mouth to speak but she couldn't form words. Who would do such a thing? There was just a scar on her palm but the letters were so prominent.

'That,' Catherine started 'isn't the worst of them either; granted most of them are just battle scars and what not. But as you can see this, this was done for a reason.'

'What reason?' Elizabeth asked unable to take her eyes of her palm.

'I needed to be taught a lesson.'

'What lesson could ever warrant such a thing?'

'The lesson of obedience.' Catherine's voice turned into a harsh, grating laugh. She shook her head and carried on. 'But that lesson was wasted on me- just caused me to be even more disruptive.'

'But who?'

'Lord Beckett. I take it you've met him? A great nobleman: rich, honourable and a complete bastard.'

'Did he… Did he do the one on your face?' Elizabeth questioned surprised by her own straight-forwardness.

'What? No. Hector did that, or should I say _Captain _Barbossa.'

'You seem different from when I first met you in Tortuga.' Elizabeth said breaking the silence that had followed.

'I'm sober.'

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. 'Sober?'

'First time in three years.'

'Is that why you told me this?'

'I told you this because there'd be no point in lying.'

Elizabeth nodded and left Catherine to her 'work'.

The next few weeks passed without anything interesting happening. Will, Elizabeth, Barbossa and Gibbs had been trying to interpret a map that supposedly led to the 'End of the World' in the day. Catherine hadn't talked to Elizabeth anymore and usually spent her nights with Gibbs. He was the only crew member she seemed to actually get along with. The others still distrusted her. Will kept to himself mostly and never let Barbossa out of his sight.

Shouting was coming out of the cabin- Gibbs and Will were arguing with Barbossa. They both thought they were heading in the wrong direction while Barbossa said their course should not change. They had been fighting for what seemed hours. Elizabeth had unsuccessfully tried to split them up but had failed.

'I'm not even sure this map is genuine!' Shouted Will.

'Look lad, navigating ain't your thing- ye should just stick t' makin' swords!' Barbossa boomed- towering over Will.

Suddenly Will drew his sword and pointed it to Barbossa's neck. Even Gibbs seemed surprised Will had dared do this.

'We should have got there a week ago.'

'Just trust me lad.'

'Trust is not something I associate with pirates.' Will snapped.

There was a knock at the door and Barbossa used this distraction to draw his own sword and point it at Will.

'Looks like we're evenly matched.' He smiled.

The knocks became even louder, Barbossa and Will still kept their swords at each other's throats.

'Who is it?' Gibbs croaked looking intently at the battle of wits going on before him.

'Catherine and if you don't open this bloody door I'll-' She said irritably

'What be your business Miss. Vane?' Barbossa asked with more than an edge of anger in his voice.

'There's something… Outside… Come and see, we've no idea what it is.'

Will lowered his sword and made for the door. Barbossa edged his way past him and opened the door to find Catherine looking very annoyed. She made a beckoning motion and led them all to the deck. All of the crew were looking at the front of the boat at something on top or underneath the water. They pushed their way through the crowd and gasped at what they saw.

A/N This chapter is longer. (Again?) Yes I know the start was clichéd but I thought that was a good idea. And having a cliff-hanger isn't that nice either but maybe you'll be able to guess what it is. As always please review- if you think this is bad just tell me so I can alter it and stop writing bad fanfic. Hopefully still not a Mary Sue story and this is not a story to get my OC 'hooked up' with some character. Of course I'm kind of dreading the next chapter as it will involve me writing Jack who will be rather hard as I am not a witty person.


	4. Chapter 4

It looked like a large, green whirlpool- right in front of the ship. Everything was bathed in its emerald glow. But although it looked and was acting like a whirlpool, thrashing and swirling- the ship was not pulled into it. The ship seemed perched on the edge, not unlike the last steps of an ill-fated man made to walk the plank. Perhaps even more unnerving than this and the green light was the silence that filled the air. The ocean was strangely silent and no birds were in the sky. All revolved around this anomaly.

'We're going in there- aren't we Joshamee?' Catherine asked wearily.

Gibbs nodded and tried to fake a smile. Most of the crew were still staring at the 'light'. They all looked scared, including Will and Elizabeth. Catherine's face was blank and expressionless as usual but even her eyes had darkened. Only Barbossa looked confident. He smiled at them all- a cold, gloating smile- it was obvious what they had been arguing about was now immaterial.

'Somebody get me some rum,' He ordered triumphantly.

Everyone was unresponsive. They were all still intoxicated by the 'light'. Catherine sighed and excused herself. Maybe she could steal a swig of rum if she went and got Barbossa a bottle. But by the time she had made her way across half of the deck there was suddenly a very bright flash of green light. She was temporarily blinded and stunned. Finally her vision cleared and to her surprise the ship was no longer moving. She looked up and saw what appeared to be the roof of a cave. The ship was not in water, it was embedded in sand.

After the expected confusion everyone managed the leave the boat. On closer inspection they realised they were actually in a very large cave with nothing but sand and crabs for what seemed miles; except for a large black boat in the middle of what looked like a small lake. Barbossa recognised it immediately- He'd know _his_ ship anywhere- even in the depths of purgatory. He smiled to himself and told Gibbs, Will, Elizabeth, Catherine and Cotton to follow him. The rest of the crew were told to mind the ship.

There was a stony silence between them as they made their way to the pearl. Barbossa strode ahead, eager to see his ship once more. His monkey was moving erratically on his shoulder: it looked scared. Elizabeth tried to make light conversation with Will but failed miserably. Suddenly they were all aware of a quiet humming coming from some unseen location. It was to the tune of the song 'A pirate's life for me.' They stopped and stared at other.

'Dead men tell no tales.' Squawked Cotton's parrot suddenly and it flew to what appeared to be just another patch of sand.

'Is that what I think it is?' Elizabeth asked timidly.

She broke into a run and the rest soon followed. There was a hole in the sand, a large hole with steep sides almost at a vertical drop. A figure was slumped against the side of the hole humming the tune they had heard less than a minute ago. It was Jack. Most of his face was concealed by his hat but there was no mistaking it was him. A bottle was beside him, empty and laying on the floor. He looked at them and smiled.

'Hello love.' He said to Elizabeth and winked at her. She turned away and felt her cheeks blush.

'We've come to save you Jack.' Barbossa smirked.

'I'll not be saved by the likes of you!' Jack responded angrily. He folded his arms like a disobedient child.

'The Pearl's here.' Gibbs told Jack solemnly.

'What, pray tell, would be the point? What would I get out of it?' Jack asked.

'Your ship.' Offered Will heatedly.

'And who shall be captain of said vessel?' Enquired Barbossa.

'Me. _Captain_ Jack Sparrow.'

'And what about me? I'm the only one who can get you out of this place.'

'First mate.' Jack said after a moment of thought. 'But I get more rum.'

'Agreed.'

He got onto his knees and put his hand into the hole. Slowly he managed to pull Jack out. Gibbs patted Jack on the back and handed him a bottle. He smiled and took a swig. He winked at Elizabeth again and turned his attention on Will. He leaned in close to Will and started to talk.

'I for one am glad you decided to put our-'He slurred.

'I didn't do this for you.' Will spat. 'The Black Pearl is the only ship capable of catching up with the Dutchman.'

Jack pretended to look offended and shook his head.

'I feel so used.' He grinned.

Suddenly Barbossa looked very troubled. He frowned and looked behind himself.

'Where's Catherine?' He asked.

She had seemingly disappeared from the group.

Catherine sat beside the water. Jack was in good hands. It'd be very easy to get him out of the hole. There was no need for her. So she'd decided to go see the pearl instead. On the shore of the lake where the pearl was floating there was a longboat. It had, at first, looked very suspicious but there were no holes to be found. She had contemplated rowing to the Pearl but she didn't want to go alone. There was something about this place which was unnerving. She shuddered and stared into the water. There was nothing but a inky darkness; this water was deep, very deep. She didn't want to think about any creatures that might live under there: creatures possibly more frightening than the Kraken.

Suddenly she saw something sparkling in the small shallow part of the lake. It was only shallow for about 20 inches and then there seemed to be a very deep sheer drop. There was a ring in the water- a silver ring with a very large stone in the middle. It was half-buried in the sand the water covered but Catherine could tell it was expensive. She put her hand into the water and picked up the ring. A hand came from the lake and grabbed her wrist. She froze.

Her whole body tensed up but she did not scream. Making any noise when fear struck you was not a good idea. Keeping silent was a skill she had learnt, a skill which had helped her immensely in her job. That's how she had managed to get away from Jack's hole. Her heart was beating very fast but she kept her breathing steady. She looked at the hand, it was wrinkled and frail- it seemed as if it was making a great effort to keep its grip on her arm. She couldn't see where the rest of the body was, _if there was one._

Well there was only one way to find out. She tried to push her fears out of her mind and grabbed the arm with her free hand. Digging her feet into the sand she started to pull the arm out of the water. Her teeth were clenched in concentration and she closed her eyes. Something gave way and she fell backwards onto the sand. She swore profusely and started to brush herself down. She heard a gasping sound coming from in front of her. There was a man laid face down on the sand. He appeared to be gasping for air. His clothes were of the finest cut, but not as fine as Beckett's had been. He had slightly balding, grey, wispy hair.

She looked at him with interest as he pulled himself up. He was older than her for sure and didn't look like the pirate type. More like a nobleman. But his face had a kind quality to it and he had no visible weapons. No threat would be posed by him. But there was a haunted look in his eyes. He looked oddly familiar. Suddenly they made eye contact- he looked confused- as if he was half-way between relief and fear.

'You saved my life…' He said finally and almost unwillingly.

'Too late for that.' Catherine smiled falsely. 'But if you would be so kind to tell me your name, I may be able to help you escape.'

His expression darkened. He swallowed and wiped a bead of sweat of his forehead.

'Weatherby Swann- _Governor _Weatherby Swann.' He answered.

'Swann?' She bit her lip and smiled again, but this time her smile was real. 'You wouldn't happen to have a daughter by any chance? Who goes by the name Elizabeth?'

'You know where Elizabeth is?'

Catherine turned round and was mildly surprised to see the group were no longer crowded round were Jack was- they were heading towards her.

'She's coming over here right now. I bet she'll be glad to see you.'

'Lord Beckett promised she would not be harmed…' He said with a hint of anger.

'You work for Beckett?'

'I had to… For Elizabeth… And after he had used me I was killed- by an assassin.'

They both went silent and Catherine studied his face for a while. The words he had said were ringing in her ears. _Oh bugger._ That's why he looked familiar- not family resemblance- she had killed him. She remembered doing it, she'd snuck into his home and shot him in the back with a pistol (With a sheet wrapped round it to use as a silencer, of course.) while he had been eating dinner. It'd been a very clean and quick kill. She hadn't realised who he was. This was going to be very hard to explain.

'Father!' Elizabeth suddenly shouted from behind Catherine. She ran to him and embraced him. They started to talk and Catherine stood up. Barbossa was not going to be happy.

'My ship!' Jack cried happily walking towards the longboat, quickly followed by everyone else. Suddenly he realised what had just happened and frowned at Catherine.

'Really Catherine, I didn't know you liked older men. My first mate is on the market you know.'

'Shut up.' She snapped.

'You could at least act glad to see me, my dear.'

Catherine made a non-committal noise. Jack shrugged and turned to Barbossa and Gibbs. He started to talk to them and was using very large hand motions.

'I thought you and Jack were friends.' Will piped up suddenly.

Catherine raised an eyebrow.

'We are- there just one thing about Jack you must always remember.'

'What's that?'

'He's an idiot.'

A/N This chapter took me longer than expected but it's finally done. I still may need to edit it though. And I'm not entirely happy about Jack's lines. They're not very Jack-ish. I decided to put Governor Swann in the story because I can envision many scenes including him. The next chapter probably won't centre on Catherine too much either. Also I've been told I'm being too paranoid on the Mary Sue front so I'll stop mentioning it. Please review- constructive criticism is always welcome.


	5. Chapter 5

Jack sat in his cabin. He rubbed his finger round the rim of the bottle of rum. The moon was shining into his cabin- the silver light reflecting off his many rings. Jack mused on the current turn of events- and his thoughts turned to Barbossa. The moonlight reminding him of the curse his crew had suffered. When only the light of the moon had revealed their true forms. He didn't entirely trust his new First mate and he was afraid Barbossa would attempt another mutiny. Jack took a swig of rum and smiled to himself- humming the song they had heard back in purgatory. He had the Pearl- his ship- he was captain- that was all that mattered.

Meanwhile Elizabeth was stood at the side of the ship, staring at the moon. Her father was asleep, he had objected to being on the ship at first, but had changed his mind when he realised it was the only way he could escape. He didn't trust anybody on the ship except for her, and had kept out of everyone's way mostly. He didn't want to associate with Pirates. Even Catherine, who had saved him, was regarded with suspicion. Elizabeth felt that her father was even beginning to distrust her; as if she was a pirate herself!

'Elizabeth.' Will said, bringing Elizabeth out of her thoughts.

'Will… I-' Elizabeth began uneasily.

'We have been on this ship long enough. We can't avoid the problem which is pressing both our minds. We… I need to know.'

'About what?' Elizabeth asked, silently hoping he wasn't going to say what she thought he was going to.

'Jack.'

'Oh.' She lowered her eyes.

'Do you love him?'

'Will… I-'

'Do you!' Will demanded.

'I can't… I… I…'

'Do you love him!' He was almost shouting now. He was angry, his face contorted with rage, but there was something else, as though it was taking great pains for him to ask these questions.

She didn't answer. Elizabeth couldn't look him in the eye. How could she tell him what she really felt? She didn't even know her true feelings. Will looked at her and walked away. He wasn't going to be used like that- if she wanted Jack, Fine. He'd leave the two 'lovers' to have their fun. She obviously didn't need or want him anymore. After Elizabeth realised Will had left the deck she stared at the moon, and started to cry.

Catherine lay in her hammock. She had been woken up by somebody shouting. Nobody else had been awakened. Just her luck to wake up when she had just started to get the first proper night's sleep she'd had in ages. She sat up and vaguely wondered if she could steal some rum if she was quiet. Suddenly she heard somebody come down the stairs. They were making no effort to be quiet. It was Will- he walked past her with his hand on his brow.

'It's a bit late to be worryin'' Catherine remarked quietly.

'I have good reason.' Will said.

'And what would that be?'

'Like I'd tell you- I don't even know who you-'

'As you wish.' Catherine interrupted and got up to leave.

'Wait.'

'I thought you couldn't tell me.' Catherine smirked.

'You know Jack.' Will said.

'No of course not.' She responded sarcastically.

'No… I mean you know what he's like.'

'Aye.'

'What's he like with women?' Will asked- he looked slightly embarrassed.

Catherine looked at him strangely. 'I wouldn't know- I haven't fallen for his charms but there are many women in Tortuga who could answer that question. _Many _women in Tortuga. Why?' Her eyes lowered as if she was inspecting his crotch. 'Jack mentioned something about you being a eunuch….'

'What!' Will was flustered- his cheeks slightly red. 'No! I mean… I meant does he love the women's he's with. Would he ever settle down and make a woman happy?'

'I'd say Jack is capable of wooing almost any women. He can love them and they can love him. For about one night.'

'One night?'

'Aye. Problem is Jack, like many other pirates, loves freedom. And marriage is being tied down whatever way you look at it. Of course not that that's always a bad thing..' There was a wistful look in her eyes. 'Anyway,' Catherine continued. 'I don't think Jack'll ever settle down but he could always prove me wrong. That man's nigh unpredictable.'

'So he doesn't love her…' Will's voice trailed off. He was no longer angry- he looked wounded. He stared at the wall and his face was angry again. He was full of fury. 'Blasted pirates…' He hissed.

Catherine observed Will. He had a temper obviously, not unlike his father she thought to herself. It was now she saw he had more than a striking resemblance for his father. Maybe they didn't look similar but the passion, the raw emotion that was within Bill was there. She also saw Bill in the way he was trying to protect the one he loved. He must really love her, she thought. She knew she should be angry at Jack for breaking an engagement but she couldn't. He was just a pirate after all- and so was Will in a way.

'Have you ever considered you could be a pirate yourself?' Catherine offered; aware that he might lash out at her.

'I'm no pirate…' He stopped and thought for a moment. 'At least not like Jack.'

'So ye admit you're a pirate.'

'Not really.'

'So you don't call a man who sails with pirates under a pirate flag and does not adhere to the rules of society a pirate?' Catherine asked.

'No.'

'Well then. That answers that question. Now onto another. Would you do me a small favour? It involves rum.'

On the deck Elizabeth was still crying. Hot tears stinging her eyes. It was so unfair. Why couldn't she just choose? She loved Will but she felt something for Jack. A longing, but was it lust or love? She couldn't decide.

'Miss. Swann. There seems t' be somethin' troublin' you. May I enquire what it may be?' Barbossa whispered in her ear.

Elizabeth jumped slightly from shock. She relaxed when she realised who it was.

'Leave me alone.' She sobbed.

'Turners always break people's hearts. Just ask Catherine.'

'What?' Elizabeth stopped crying for a moment. She was shocked. 'What did you say?'

'Doesn't matter Missy.' Barbossa answered and walked away whistling a cheerful tune.

Elizabeth frowned and contemplated what Barbossa had just said.

Will sat down next to the bottles of rum. He took one and took the cork out with his teeth. There would be no harm in him having a bit of drink himself. Jack had agreed with Barbossa that Catherine should not be allowed to get drunk. So she'd asked Will to get her a bottle. Will sighed and took out the knife his father had given him. He threw it on the ground and then picked it up- making a hole in the wood. Suddenly he noticed something on the side of the knife. It looked like a part of an engraving. The rest of it was covered in grime and muck. Will used his thumb to wipe away the grime. He could see the letter 'B'. Maybe they were just his father's initials. He wiped away the rest and saw that there was another letter, a 'K' intertwined with the 'B'. What could this mean?

A/N Okay so I got this done. I probably won't be able to update until the weekend so bear with me. I think you'll probably be able to guess where the story is going but I might not reveal it until a few chapters later. I haven't even got double figures in my reviews so please tell me if I'm writing badly or falling into the wraths of the Mary sue. For the next chapter I'm thinking something along the lines of Chinese pirates. Hmmm…


	6. Chapter 6

Catherine stood on the deck and furrowed her brow. Where was everybody? There was no one in sight- it seemed almost unnatural to her and a shiver went down her spine. She shook her head sharply; there was no reason to be afraid. Someone would be in the Crow's nest, she couldn't be totally alone. Catherine looked up- nobody was there. No one: no one on the deck, no one in the nest and no one steering the ship. She scanned the horizon quickly, no ship in sight. She took a deep breath, _calm down_ she said to herself, _people don't suddenly disappear… Besides, there is still the crew below deck. I'm not totally alone. _

She heard footsteps behind her. She froze and then realised it was most likely Will. A smile grew upon her face; rum was exactly what she needed.

'About bloody time.' She remarked and turned round.

It wasn't Will. It didn't even look human. It was humanoid in a way and wore ragged clothing on the lower half of its body. It was male but Catherine couldn't think of it as human, let alone a 'he'. 'He' was much taller than her and his face was like that of a hammerhead's. There was another set of eyes of the side of his head- moving around erratically. A snarl was on his face, showing a very impressive set of sharp jagged teeth. His whole body was covered by barnacles, limpets, coral and what looked like shark skin. Monstrous didn't even begin to describe it. The finishing touches to this terrible sight were his hands, long bony claws -not unlike that of a crab's- holding a cutlass to her throat.

He smiled at her. She couldn't help staring at his teeth. There was suddenly the sound of a great body of water being moved behind her. Only one person had men like this in his crew- _Davy Jones._ Catherine had only seen him once, when Jack had made his deal, but that had been enough to leave a lasting impression upon her. She remembered his cold eyes, hideous face and devil-like hat. His crew had been ruthless uncaring men with similar disfigurements. A thought struck her- _Bill was now part of that crew._ But she soon brought herself back to reality and turned back to the shark-man.

'Going somewhere Miss Scar?' He hissed.

'I would think a scar is preferable to the head of a shark!' She said surprised by her own bravery. He grabbed her shoulder and she felt something hard hit her on the head. Her world was enveloped by darkness.

Catherine woke up- her head was throbbing. She tried to rub her head but found her hands were tied. Blurry objects surrounded her. There were a few figures lined up next to her and many others in front. She blinked and tried to focus. She could here somebody talking but the words were hard to make out. Catherine was on her knees and definitely on a ship. _The Dutchman, _she thought, _there's no hope for us now. _Eventually her vision cleared. Her suspicions were correct; they were on Davy Jones's ship- the rest of the pearl's crew were next to her in the same position. Davy's crew surrounded them- all horrible fish-creatures. There was one person that did not fit in however, a rough looking man in a Navy uniform. Catherine didn't recognise him. She shook her head and listened in on what was being said.

'Yes but what if I was to tell you that-'Jack started to say before being cut off by another voice with a slight Scottish accent. Catherine recognised that voice and a shiver went down her spine.

'The only reason I haven't slit the throats of the lot of ye is because _Lord _Beckett wants you alive- all survivors must be kept alive he said- so you can be hanged for ye crimes,' He said Beckett's name with obvious venom. 'If it were up to me,' He continued. 'I'd give you all the 'death of a thousand cuts'.

Catherine gulped- that was a punishment no man deserved. Used by many Chinese pirates- it involved cutting the victim's skin with a knife and sealing the wound with a hot iron. This was done over and over again, all over the body, until the knife reached the heart. She noticed there was another ship next to the Dutchman. It looked like a navy ship. One of Beckett's perhaps? The shark-man was watching her closely; he was right next to Jones. The Navy man was also next to him, unfortunately she couldn't tell his rank but she guessed he was pretty important.

'Ah but you are aware of an assassin sent to kill the young miss Elizabeth and young Turner correct?' Jack said smoothly.

'Aye but he has obviously failed. It does not matter- he now wants them to be hung in public for all to see.'

'And when he is caught he will be sentenced to death.' The man in naval uniform remarked bluntly. His voice had a posh edge to it; he obviously had a large ego.

_Shut Up! _Catherine willed silently. There was no reason to bring her into this. The piece of paper Beckett had given her was now useless. And they were unaware of her identity; _Let them think it was a he, who failed. This will do you no good Jack._

Elizabeth made a scoffing sound. 'There was somebody sent to kill us?'

'Beckett would think of ye both as dangerous, missy.' Barbossa added helpfully.

'You could have told us Jack.' Snapped Will scornfully.

'I had everything under control mate.' Jack answered. 'You've never been in danger… Except for now of course. Thanks to our good friend Commodore Norrington.'

'It's **Admiral **Norrington now.' The man replied haughtily. 'Now I have even more power to rid the earth of scallywags like you.'

Norrington looked down at the collection of ruffians on the deck. Part of him could scarcely believe that _he _had been one of them just a while ago. A drunkard, a _pirate_- but they all deserved their fate. Yet there was another part of him that knew this was wrong, the same part of him that still loved Elizabeth, and the same part of him that wanted to get away before he had the same fate as Governor Swann. He had been very surprised to see him on the ship- He had seen the governor's body himself- he had been horrified when he heard about the murder and had of late begun to wonder if Davy Jones or Lord Beckett was the worse of the pair. The Governor was out cold now though so no questions could be asked of him.

'Admiral... Interesting… Been rooting for you all the time mate.' Jack smiled.

'Now because Lord Beckett has decided to keep the Black Pearl, he mentioned something about stolen property, It is the only ship that can out run mine so it will be destroyed. In the meantime a few of my men and a few lucky members of your crew will sail it. Understand?' Davy growled.

'Uh…. No…' Catherine piped up suddenly. She had been listening to the conversation half-heartedly while scanning the deck for Bill. She knew everyone else was alright but Bill was no where to be seen.

Davy Jones looked angry, his tentacled face growing red with rage. He walked over to her, his wooden leg making a loud noise with every step. He leaned in close to her; she could see the writhing tentacles and looked straight into his eyes. They were blue, not unlike the ocean that he controlled.

'What exactly do you mean?' He asked barely concealing his anger.

'Why not just kill us now and say we died in battle? Or just blow up the Pearl?'

'Because I am not free to make my own decisions, and therefore must do things even if they do defy logic.' He paused and looked at her closely. 'You look… familiar..'

'Oh.'

'Yes… Yes I've seen you somewhere before I'm sure of it…But I would remember someone with such… a distinguishing feature.' All of Davy's crew laughed and Catherine felt anger surge through her. So she spat on him. They stopped laughing and a strange silence fell over them. Davy snarled at her and put his crab claw at her neck and lifted her up using it. He tightened his grip slowly. Catherine felt like her windpipe was being crushed. She couldn't breathe but she didn't cry out. She wasn't going to let him have that pleasure.

'Lord Beckett has requested **all **prisoners be alive. That includes her.' Norrington said sternly, a lot braver than he actually felt.

Jones looked at Norrington angrily and dropped her. She fell to the floor and managed to get back on her knees.

'If I'm going to die anyway what's the point? Your conscience will still not be clear.' Catherine pointed out.

Norrington looked at Catherine. She was looking at him with hatred in her eyes; there was something almost animal about her. The prominent scar, her untidy hair, her gaunt face and even her clothes gave off this impression. The blood stain on the side of her shirt was very large, and did not look like it came from a wound. But most of all this impression was in the way she looked at him with so much hatred, it seemed like she was suddenly going to jump on him and tear him to pieces. He knew this was just his imagination but he still couldn't shake the feeling.

'She's right James… You used to be a good man…' Elizabeth said sadly

Norrington turned to look at Elizabeth, he looked sad and was almost about to say something when Davy Jones interrupted.

'Maccus! Take these trouble-makers to the brig.' He ordered.

'Aye, Aye captain.' The shark-man answered.

He grabbed Catherine roughly and other members of Davy's crew grabbed the rest. Catherine suddenly realised there hadn't been that many survivors. Only Gibbs, Jack, Barbossa, Will, Elizabeth, Cotton, Pintel, Ragetti and another crew member she couldn't name were there. Either there had been a very large battle or the others were on the Pearl.

They made their way to the brig. Catherine was surprised the 'Flying Dutchman' even had a brig. The brig was encrusted with barnacles and other sea life like the edge of the ship. Even though it seemed impossible there was even more sea life under here than on the top of the ship. It was empty except for a hunched figure locked behind one of the barred prisons. Will, Catherine, Gibbs and Elizabeth were shoved in the cell with the figure and the rest of them were shoved into the empty one.

The hunched figure moved slightly and turned around- Will recognised his father. He looked at everyone and turned his attention onto Catherine.

'Kate?' Bill asked covering his face with his hand.

A/N Phew this took a while to write. Sorry I'm a day off the deadline but I could not get onto a computer. Honestly I didn't think anybody cared but I'm glad to see at least one person does. Anyway I think everything is pretty obvious now. Story-wise at least. Sorry for focusing on my OC too much again- this story wasn't originally going to be centred on her. I haven't even got the second chapter written for my other fanfic yet so I'll probably do that before I update again. Thanks for your support.


	7. Chapter 7

Catherine stood with her back against the cold, rough bars in the Flying Dutchman's brig. Bill remembered her. She had heard that Davy's curse slowly eroded the memories of its possessor; at least it hadn't got that far. But although the curse seemed to have not affected his mind much it had definitely affected his body- most notably in the face. His face, shoulders and hat were littered in barnacles and his skin now had a greenish tinge. It was hard to tell what was his real hair and what was seaweed. And his face, his face had been partly covered by a starfish and the rest with a few sea-urchins. However it was still him, she could still recognise him. Catherine closed her eyes and painful memories flooded to the surface.

'_Hello Hector.' _

_Barbossa stopped in his tracks- he had been enjoying a walk on the ship- **his **ship. Now he felt a hand on his shoulder and the touch of something sharp on his neck. Although it was a strange sensation- he could feel both these things- but not the coldness of the blade, the warmth of the hand nor the spray of the ocean. Numb, unfeeling; the curse seemed to get worse every day. Barbossa knew the voice, he had expected it- it would have to happen sooner or later- but it was going to happen sooner than he had previously thought. _

'_Miss Vane- I was wonderin' when I'd see ye again.' He remarked cheerfully. _

_Almost immediately the hand tightened its grip. Even the bravest Pirate would be somewhat daunted by such a threat. Catherine knew this was unnatural- Hector was a good fighter- however even he felt fear. Something was wrong, but she couldn't quite place it. Perhaps it was the fact it was freezing and Barbossa wasn't wearing any sort of coat or perhaps the fact that the pearl seemed to give off an air of misery and torment. She had been on this ship many times and had never felt this before._

'_Where's Jack?' She hissed in his ear. _

'_On a tiny island in the middle of the ocean. Didn't ye hear of the mutiny?' _

'_Of course.' She snapped. _

'_Ah you just wanted proof…' Barbossa laughed harshly before continuing. 'I think the one shot we left him with has been used by now.'_

'_Where's Bill?' Catherine asked- uneasiness creeping into her voice. Barbossa knew she was panicking; her usually collected demeanour was slowly breaking. Like a cliff being eroded by the waves. _

'_Bootstrap- well he's like Jack- cared too much about others. He felt guilty… Damn him… And was disrespectful to his captain. I couldn't allow that; don't want the crew to get ideas.' _

_The blade pressed closer to his throat. Barbossa still couldn't see Catherine's face- she was still behind him. Although it would have been hard to see her anyway; they were in a shadowy part of the ship, near his cabin, where the moonlight couldn't reach._

'_You killed him! You bas-'_

'_He's still alive Missy.' _

'_Where?' _

'_At the bottom of the ocean…'_

_Suddenly Barbossa felt an extremely strange feeling in his throat. He looked down. The blade had totally impaled his neck. He shook his head and laughed. However the blade made this difficult; the laugh sounded like he was having a coughing fit. This was totally expected. Catherine never could watch her temper. _

_Catherine frowned. This strange turn of events had washed away her strong emotions. It wasn't possible! He hadn't reacted to the pain, let alone slumped to the floor. She withdrew her weapon and examined it. Sure enough, it was gilded with blood. Even in the shadows the crimson on the blade was noticeable. She looked at Barbossa's throat- he seemed to be waiting patiently for something, there was no wound._

_Barbossa turned round and looked at Catherine._

'_I was getting to that.' Barbossa slowly explained about the Aztec gold and through the tale his face was getting redder and redder. His temper was waning too. 'And you know what? Bootstrap said we deserved this. We deserved this Hell! We need all the gold we took t' break the curse, and he, he sent a piece away to his damn child! So I sent him to the depths, so he experiences a new level of Hell! Bootstrap Bill- there be a name ye won't be hearin' again.' Barbossa said Bootstrap's name with malice in his voice. Bitter wasn't even a good enough word to describe it. _

_He looked at Catherine levelly- her eyes were unfocused. She had dropped the knife and was using her only gloved hand to support herself on a wooden pole. Her mouth was forming unheard words- she was struggling to cope with what he had said. Barbossa sighed and waited for her to stop._

_Catherine was finding it hard to breathe. Strong emotion had suddenly collapsed on top of her. A heaving mass of sadness, fear and regret. So powerful, she'd almost fell to the ground. She couldn't control it- it was a monster that had been fighting to get out ever since she had heard of the mutiny. The emotion escalated and was warped until it became pure anger. She stood up properly and drew her sword. An idiotic act at the very least, but anger had blinded her. _

_She charged at him and he drew his weapon. They fought. Her with furious blows and him with stamina to match- stamina that could last an eternity. Their fight brought them onto the main deck of the ship. Suddenly a monkey jumped into her face and Barbossa saw his chance. He deliberately sliced her across the face. Catherine dropped her weapon for the second time that evening. She staggered backwards and covered her face with her hands. Both were now looked soaked in blood. _

_Slowly she lowered her hands and brought herself to look at Barbossa's face. He was no monster- she knew that. But as she looked at the tattered remains of his body in the moonlight she found it hard to believe what she knew as truth. Was this really the man she had drank with, joked with and even considered a friend? He hadn't killed her- but was that because a worse fate was in store for her? Or was he showing mercy? Catherine grimaced, her whole head was throbbing, and something wet was trickling down her cheek. There was no time to feel pain; she knew what she had to do. Catherine jumped over the side of the ship and prepared to welcome oblivion. _

Catherine looked at Bootstrap. He had said her name. She wondered how long they had been stood in silence. It seemed like an eternity but time was a strange and fickle mistress. A million words swarmed in her head but she said only one.

'Damn.'

Catherine bit her lip and stared at a barnacle-encrusted wall. It was the only place she could look so she didn't have to make eye contact with anybody. Her face was burning, but not with embarrassment. Anger swept through her- however it wasn't the raging, burning fire that was usually bubbling below the surface of her apparently calm demeanour. It was cold, unforgiving and grave. All other feeling was gone. Just this strange, unnatural feeling remained. This was the true danger. Fierce, wild anger could be controlled. But this, coldness, could not. It was this sensation that had earned Catherine her reputation. Death was just one of many things which had resulted from this sensation.

'I hope you enjoy your stay.' An oddly familiar voice remarked. Elizabeth recognised it immediately; it was Norrington. He was alone- none of Davy's crew seemed to be around. Though you never could tell, because most of them blended in with the ship.

'You too mate… You too…' Jack laughed.

'And what is that statement supposed to mean?' The Admiral asked.

'Well it seems to me Commo- Admiral that you are a prisoner just as much as the rest of us.'

'Then you are mistaken.'

'We'll see.' Jack smiled cheerfully.

A heavy set of footsteps suddenly filled the room. A figure wearing similar, but much dirtier, naval uniform entered the room.

'Ah Mr Mercer. I hope you enjoy the pleasure of looking after our prisoners. I have a very important man to attend to. Make sure me and Governor Swann are not disturbed.'

'Aye.' Answered the man smoothly.

Elizabeth looked at him and frowned.

'You… You… You work for the most despicable man alive. I suppose it was you who killed my father.' Elizabeth said heatedly.

'Third-party killer love. I don't get involved with the small fish.' Mercer smiled. 'Although it seems you do.'

'What are you talking about?' Elizabeth asked suspiciously.

'They've found some documents on the ship. Signed by me employer. Same ones given to the assassin. He was on your ship.'

'Really?' Barbossa mused. 'That is indeed interesting. Don't you mean she?'

'What?' Mercer asked, it was his turn to be suspicious.

'She. Don't you mean **she **was on the ship? The assassin was female.'

A/N My internet has been terrible for ages so I apologise for the very late update. I'm also going on holiday in a week's time so don't expect another update soon. I did write a different flashback for this chapter but it was terrible. If you think this was bad you should see my other attempt! Definitely need to stop revolving the story around my OC in the next chapter.


	8. Chapter 8

'What **are **you talking about?' asked Elizabeth. 'There were only two women on that ship.' She was trying to keep her voice light-hearted but everyone could hear anxiousness creep into her voice. She took in a deep breath before continuing. 'I mean it obviously couldn't be me- and the only other woman was… Cath-' her voice suddenly stopped in mid-sentence, and she turned to look at Catherine.

Again everyone turned to look at Catherine. Being the centre of attention had never been something Catherine had liked. She just kept on staring at the same piece of wall. Her face stayed expressionless and still.

Gibbs waited for her to say something; to dismiss the statement with a witty remark, to laugh, to smile, to insult Barbossa, to sigh, to shake her head, _to lie. _For her to do _anything_ other than this insufferable silence. To him it seemed as though she hadn't heard a word anyone had said. Her eyes were unfocused and she had hardly moved. What was going through her mind?

Barbossa laughed. 'What do you think I'm talking' about Missy? If ye were the not the assassin and Miss Vane here was the only other woman on board then what are we supposed to think?'

'You mean she..' Elizabeth started shakily.

'Yes.' Barbossa answered even though he had no way of knowing what Will was going to say next. 'You see-'

Will reached for his sword and Jack gave a small cry of alarm.

'Look mate.' He began turning towards Barbossa. 'This is **not** the opportune moment. How about we forget all of this and have some rum, hey?'

'You Shut up.' Mercer suddenly snarled. He was angry but also strangely curious. Interest was engraved on all of his features.

'Mate.' Jack began again his hands clasped in a prayer-like motion. 'Wouldn't it just be better to just forget and celebrate our good fortune.'

'Dunno what fortune he's talkin' about.' Pintel whispered to Ragetti.

'Maybe it's 'cause we've escaped the ul-ti-mate evil.' Ragetti whispered back.

'What's given you delusions of grandeur?' Pintel asked angrily.

'Nothin'. And I'll think you'll find its grander not 'grandeur.'

'It's grandeur! First ya bloody say Kraken wrong…'

'You're the one sayin' it wrongly!' Ragetti said. 'An' it's Grander!'

'It's not- if you weren't such a-'

'Excuse me Gents. But we're kind of busy.' Mercer intoned irately.

'Why are you interested?' Will asked him. So far he had stayed silent, contemplating what Barbossa had said. But Mercer's sudden and unexpected interest worried him. Why did this man care? Other questions buzzed in his mind also. What did the knife mean? What did Catherine have to do with his father? And why had Barbossa spoken those almost cryptic words?

'Because I never forget the names of my enemies.' Mercer replied with a ghastly smile on his face. 'Isn't that right, _Miss Vane_?'

Jack shook his head slowly, his smile had faded. Obviously his 'people skills' and wiles wouldn't help him here. Will just looked around confusedly. It seemed him and Elizabeth were the only ones that didn't know what was going on here.

'What?' Elizabeth asked - everything was slipping from her grasp. She was worried.

'Can't you see young miss? She's the assassin. The one that killed the governor. The one that Lord Beckett employed. The one sent to kill **you**.' Mercer smiled again, he looked like he was enjoying Elizabeth's fear.

'Is it true?' Will asked Catherine. He was trying to keep his voice as steady as possible.

Catherine laughed, but not bitterly or hollowly. This laugh was a laugh of genuine amusement.

'Which part?' She enquired.

'All of it!' Will answered. Her sudden change of behaviour made him apprehensive; could she possibly be mad?

'Yes. It's true.' She said simply.

Governor Swann opened his eyes and looked around hazily. He vainly tried to find his bearings as he sat up. The grim face of Admiral Norrington greeted him. He sighed.

'Good afternoon Governor,' He remarked without a smile.

'What's the meaning of this? Where's my daughter? I demand-' Governor Swann started.

'I understand… But there are bigger things at stake here.' Norrington hissed.

'What could possibly be more important than my daughter?' The Governor replied.

'Now look here-'

'No **you** look here. In once thought you a good man- an **honourable** man. Don't you care about my daughter?'

'Of course I care about Elizabeth.' Norrington shouted. Tears were forming at the back of his eyes. He didn't like how this conversation was going. It was opening up old wounds, wounds he had tried to heal with rum. The deep, feared, everlasting wounds that only a woman could give. A woman like the one he had loved. A woman like Elizabeth. 'You don't… You don't…' He continued. 'You don't understand my position.'

'What position? You could have rid the seas of a monster. But you just wanted to improve your station.' Governor Swann shouted back, although his voice was a little quieter.

'I seem to remember Lord Beckett telling me of your past. What **you **did to improve **your **station.' Norrington said coldly. 'Doesn't that make you a hypocrite?'

Governor Swann looked down- guilt was evident in his eyes. He was not without secrets himself.

'I was… I was young. And I never did anything as bad as this.' He said finally.

'What about Georgia?' Norrington asked.

Governor Swann lowered his eyes once again; Norrington wasn't the only one with deeps wounds etched into his soul.

'Georgia…' He whispered under his breath. Her name seemed to float of his tongue and escape into the wind. 'She was nothing to do with improving my station. In fact it… She did the opposite…'

'And so you left London with a name soaked in scandal.' Norrington remarked.

'Why are you talking about this?' Governor Swann suddenly asked angrily. 'This will not save Elizabeth!'

'Possibly not. But it does explain Elizabeth's headstrongness.' _Her Headstrong manner was always what I admired about her._ Norrington thought to himself.

'You still haven't explained.'

'I am a man of facts Mr Swann. I needed to know the truth.' Norrington's manner had turned business-like. Obviously he didn't want to carry on with this conversation.

'I see.' Governor Swann replied in a similar manner.

'You will stay here. You are too weak to do work like the other prisoners so you will stay up here. And you will not leave this room. Understand?'

Governor Swann nodded his head and said nothing else as Norrington left the room.

_James. James. _Norrington could hear Elizabeth's voice as he walked to the captain's quarters. He needed to speak with Davy Jones. _You used to be a good man. _Why wouldn't that voice stop? **_I am a good man. _**He said silently. _**I have a high position, I have power. **But you don't have me._ Elizabeth's voice had lost its melodic quality. She now sounded like a Harpy taunting him. _You don't have me, you'll never have me. You'll always be bested by a blacksmith. **Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!**_

Norrington stopped and realised he had said those last two words aloud. Davy's deformed crew were now looking at him strangely. He gave them a cold stare and changed direction. He was going to the brig. He needed to see Elizabeth.

A/N Okay this one's a bit short. Hope you still like it though. H + E see I did get it done in time! So no more begging okay? You know who you are! I haven't really developed ol' Norrie yet so and I thought that was a shame because he's such a complex character. I have like a million ideas for chapter so bare with me. Also I really need to write more about Bootstrap- he is one of the best characters in the PotC series. They'll be no more updates for at least a week because I'm going on holiday.


	9. Chapter 9

Catherine could feel everyone's eyes boring into her. What had they expected- a lie? Half of them knew the truth before the words had left Mercer's mouth, yet none had stuck up for her. Even Jack who'd protested to the whole conversation had said nothing since. She was a castle which had suddenly had all of its defences disappear. There was no way she could shield herself from the oncoming and inevitable attack. More questions would be asked and everything that had happened would be held up for the whole world to see.

Why hadn't they helped her? Why weren't they helping her? Anything would help right now. An explanation, a joke, **anything. **But no- all they did was contribute to this awful silence. She silently wished she hadn't said the truth. Why hadn't she laughed it off or exposed Mercer as a liar? He had lied about plenty other things- so why didn't she just say this was another of them? Catherine knew why. She couldn't lie; not to **him.**

'I'm sorry.' she whispered. Her eyes were now looking at the floor- she didn't want to see the hatred, fear, distrust and sadness in everyone's eyes.

'Sorry? You're **sorry**? You…. Killed him and you're just **sorry**?' Elizabeth spat.

Catherine just shook her head. Yes, she was sorry about the governor's death- but what she had just said hadn't been directed at Elizabeth. She had been thinking about everything, about everything that had happened after she'd escaped Beckett's grasp. It was too late too change it now. She was sorry for most of it but a part of her didn't feel guilty. That part of her was the same part which had laughed earlier when Will had asked her if it was true. The same part which had caused her to befriend Bill and Jack in the first place.

She felt angry for feeling guilty. What was she doing moping like a child? Children let sadness overcome them. Catherine had done what she had needed to do. Why couldn't they understand that? She opened her mouth to speak and-

'Wait.' A voice came from across the room. It was the crew member Catherine had failed to recognise. She'd seen him before but never learnt his name. He was young, too young by the looks of it and had brown unkempt hair which covered half his face.

'Sorry… I just-' His face flushed with embarrassment as he continued. 'I just need to ask something.'

Elizabeth looked at him scornfully and made an incomprehensible noise. Will looked angry as well but stayed silent. Barbossa just rolled his eyes.

'What be yer problem lad?' Barbossa asked

'Why are we fighting? Shouldn't we be doing something to escape?' The boy answered still slightly embarrassed.

'Best not talk about escape plans with the enemy in the room.' Gibbs said motioning towards Mercer.

'And if you have any idea how to escape this godforsaken ship, than pray, tell us.' Elizabeth added sardonically.

'Bargain.' He offered simply.

'But to bargain you need something to offer,' She replied still in a scathing tone of voice.

'What about this?' He asked pulling out something in a black cloth out of his pocket. He slowly started to unwrap it.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

'Sir.'

A voice woke Cutler Beckett out of his reflective mood. Nothing like sitting down with a glass of port and musing on life. Especially when everything seemed to be going your way. If everything had gone according to plan soon the Caribbean would be rid of pirates. And that meant no competition.

'Yes. Mister Harris. What is it this time?' Beckett asked wearily. He really couldn't be bothered to deal with another one of Harris's problems today.

'You've just been invited to some sort of ball, sir and-'

'Is that it? Another boring ball where I'll be forced to listen to boring conversation, about the weather, no doubt. Tell them I'm busy. I can't **stand** another one. No intellectual talk at all.' He took a sip from his glass and leant his head back.

'I'll tell them sir.' Harris replied.

'Good. Now leave me be.'

'There's something else as well Sir.'

Beckett sighed and flicked his hand in the air. 'Very well.' He said exasperatedly. 'Come over here and tell me.'

Harris walked over to where Beckett was sitting and turned to face him. Beckett looked up at him and waited for him to speak.

'We've found a man. He claims to know where the Pirate Brethren is situated.'

'Interesting…' Beckett whispered almost to himself. He took another sip before continuing. 'Who is he?'

'He claims to be the infamous Charles Vane Sir. He said something about his ship 'The Adventurer' being destroyed. I don't know if it's true Sir.'

'I see… Let me talk to him.'

'Of course Sir. But before I bring him in I would like to ask you something Sir.'

'Yes…' Beckett sighed again.

'This Charles Vane. Is he any relation to the woman your spies saw the fugitives pick up in Tortuga?'

'I would guess so.' Beckett answered

'Well… Can't we ask him for information about her?'

Beckett raised an eyebrow. 'I know you haven't been working for me long Harris. But I'll tell you this. I know everything about that girl which is relevant. She's played her part wonderfully, although most likely unknowingly. And this relative, if in fact he is one, will not be told of her- understand?'

'Yes Sir.'

'Good. Bring him in before I get bored of this conversation.'

Harris bowed and left the room while Beckett helped himself to another glass of port. There were a few minutes of silence before Harris entered the room again.

'Here he is Sir.' He said.

'Leave us.' Beckett demanded. Harris bowed once more and left.

Beckett inspected his visitor. His long, dirty blonde hair was tied in a dirty and untidy pony-tail. His clothes were extremely dirty and he had more than a passing resemblance to Norrington when he had been in Beckett's office. Charles and Beckett stared at each other for quite a while, each looking at the other for signs of weakness.

'The Brethren…' Beckett began.

'Yes.' Replied Charles, his voice was coarse and had a thick quality to it.

'You know where they are.'

'Yes.'

'Will you tell me?'

'For a price.' Charles grunted.

'As these things always are. Tell me- you who revelled in piracy. Why have you decided to betray your own company?' Beckett smiled a ghastly grin.

'Most men in my position yer see. They sell their soul t' the devil. Get what they want. Like Sparra' did. But **you **control the devil now. So I went to see you instead.'

'Ah. Desperate times and measures. But what do you want?'

'Me own ship. An' the chance t' kill Sparra'.' Charles answered.

'Yes. Tell me where the Brethren are and you'll get your ship. But _I_ want to kill Jack Sparrow.'

'As ye wish. I've no interest in Jack. It's his father I want.'

'His father? That's fine by me. I'll tell you what I'll do- I'll get you a ship and you can take that ship, crewed by **my **men to where the Brethren are. Then if you're telling the truth, you'll go back to Port Royal and be able to do as you choose. Understand?' Beckett finally finished his proposition and took another sip out of his glass.

'Fine. Will you be accompanying me?'

'Of course. Out of interest, actually where are the Pirate Brethren?'

'Singapore.'

'Ah. We'll leave in the morning. Leave me now.' Beckett ordered.

After Charles had left, Harris entered the room.

'Harris! Pack my things. We're going to Singapore.' Beckett commanded still sat in his chair.

'Of course. But Sir, What about Lady Beckett? She'll insist that she comes.'

'Ah.' Beckett's face fell. 'She can't come, it's too dangerous. Not the place for a woman.'

'She's expressed a wish to go sailing with you many times.'

'I **know **that.' Beckett spat through clenched teeth. 'But I will not let her see me when I'm… When I'm…'

'Like this?'

'Shut up.'

A/N Yes. At last I have finished. I've had to re-write this like five times. And having writer's block hasn't help either… So three new characters were introduced in this chapter and I hope the sort-of cliff-hanger isn't too bad. Two people already know who the new crewmember is but I won't spoil it for anyone else. Hope this didn't totally suck. R & R please.


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